Palpitations are the sensation of having a racing or pounding heart. Most people with palpitations don’t have any severe underlying conditions or diseases. Still, some rare conditions, such as atrial fibrillation, can lead to persistent chest discomfort and racing heartbeat with no apparent physical cause. Palpitations can cause a lot of concern, so it may be in your best interests to see a Houston palpitations specialist for diagnosis and treatment.

You may mistake a minor occurrence may be a severe condition, so you should never ignore it.

Causes 

A heart’s electrical conduction problem known as atrial fibrillation can cause you to feel like your heart is racing or fluttering, even when it isn’t. A change in the heartbeat rate may be brought on by anemia, hyperthyroidism, caffeine intake, stress, anxiety disorders, or medications.

Causes of less severe palpitations include caffeine intake, alcohol intake, fever, anemia, hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid), and various medications.

Palpitations can also be caused by anxiety disorders where you feel like your heart is beating too fast or too slow. You may experience chest pain, shortness of breath, fainting spells, and dizziness.

Symptoms 

The main symptom of palpitations is racing or pounding of the heart. You may feel like your heart is skipping a beat, fluttering, and beating too fast (tachycardia). Palpitations can cause chest pain, shortness of breath, fainting spells, dizziness, and anxiety. The most common cause of palpitations is anxiety. However, many other factors can cause it to occur.

Diagnosis

Palpitations specialists are very experienced with diagnosing the cause of palpitations so that they can provide treatment options. They will want to perform an EKG to determine whether your heart rhythm is regular or irregular. If the rhythm is irregular, you will need a Holter monitor to record the rhythm and any sudden changes.

They will also ask about your medical history and family history in addition to performing a physical examination of your heart and chest area. They may order blood tests or an echocardiogram if they think there could be a heart problem.

Treatment

Palpitations treatment can vary depending on your situation. Still, it will generally involve lifestyle changes like avoiding caffeine and alcohol intake, getting more sleep, doing relaxation exercises, and cutting back on stress.

If you have diabetes or have high blood pressure, your doctor may prescribe medication to help control it. If your palpitations are brought on by stress, your doctor might prescribe medication to help with your anxiety. If you have a thyroid condition, it should be under control before treatment for the palpitations begins.

If lifestyle and other natural remedies aren’t working and you still feel like your heart is racing or pounding, you will need medical attention. If your heart is beating irregularly, you will need to see a specialist such as a cardiologist.

To summarize, palpitations refer to the sensation of having a racing or pounding heart. It may come due to anxiety, stress, atrial fibrillation, anemia, alcohol intake, and other conditions that alter your heartbeat. A specialist can diagnose the condition by conducting an EKG to determine the regularity of your heartbeat. Treatments vary depending on your situation, but they mainly involve lifestyle changes and medications.